Tool for handling false eyelashes and the like



Aug; 19, 1969- R. e. BAU 3,461

TOOL FOR ANDLING FALSE BYELASHES AND THE LIKE Filed March 24 1967 Jr'raeA/Ew United States Patent US. Cl. 13288.7 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tool formed of a rod-like handle which at one end carries a plurality of parallel, elongated blades mounted on one surface. The blades are of such thinness and spacing that on pressing the tool against a false eyelash, the blades enter between the strands and frictionally hold them, thereby to permit the lash to be lifted and carried to a position and held while it is being attached to the eyelid.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relates to beauty aids and tools therefor.

Description of the prior art As presently known, there is no implement other than tweezers for use in holding false eyelashes while they are being secured in place. In using tweezers for this purpose, a woman grasps strands of a lash between the ends of the implement, and attempts thereby to hold the lash while she attaches it to her eyelid. Tweezers are dangerous to use for this purpose, because they are small, pointed instruments, and their use frequently results in ones inadvertently jabbing and injuring her eyelids. Additionally, tweezers have the disadvantage that they frequently break off the strands gripped thereby, and utlimately cause the lashes to be so straggly in appearance that they have to be discarded.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is directed to hand tool of unitary con struction, having a handle portion for holding purposes, and a longitudinally grooved portion forming blades at one end. Adjacent blades are adapted to be placed astride strands of a false eyelash, and are sufficiently closely spaced to insure their light frictional engagement with the strands located between them, thereby permitting the lash to be held while the adhesive backing therefor is applied to the eyelid. The end of the tool adjacent the serrations is rounded, so that the only portion of the tool which might inadvertently touch the eyelid is devoid of any sharp configuration that might otherwise damage the eyelid.

The tool of the invention does not have relatively movable parts, is not of dangerous configuration, and is safe in use. Further, such tool does not exert any gripping force on strands of a false eyelash, and therefore, does not do any damage to the article.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the tool of the invention, showing the false eyelash being held by blades at one end of the tool while manipulating the handle portion to position the eyelash so that it can be attached to the eyelid;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the eyelash after it has been attached to the eyelid, and showing the comb end of the tool in use to comb the false and natural eyelashes together;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of the lash-holding end of the tool;

3,461,886 Patented Aug. 19., 1969 "ice DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGURE 1, a woman 10 is shown in the process of attaching a false eyelash to one of her eyelids with the use of the tool 12 of this invention. The tool 12 has a handle portion 14 and an integral extension 16 which engages the strands 18 of the lash, such strands extending from a backing strip 20. The strip 20, as is conventional, is coated with an adhesive with which to attach the strip to the eyelid, indicated at 22. To this end, she moves the tool 12 toward her eyelid until the strip 20 is positioned approximately where she wishes to attach it. While thus holding the tool, she manipulates the strip 20 with her other hand to attach it to the portion of the eyelid as desired.

Referring to FIGURES 3-6, the handle 14 and extension 16 are shown as formed of a cylindrical body which has a fiatened, tapered end. The tapered end has opposed fiat surfaces, on one of which is a block-like portion 26 having a plurality of longitudinal grooves to form a plurality of elongated blades 28. As will be noted, the poriton 26 in side elevation is substantially a right triangle, the hypotenuse of which is the fiat surface of the extension 16 from which the portion 26 extends, and with the widest portions of the blades being adjacent the end of the extension 16. Also as shown in FIGURES 3, 5 and 6, the portion of the extension 16 opposite the blades 28 extends beyond the extremities of the blades 28, as indicated at 30. The extremity 30 is round and smooth, so as not to injure a persons eyelid if touched with the extension 16 when attaching a lash in place. The extremity 30 also serves to prevent the blades 28 from engaging ones eyelid.

As thus described, the tool 12 facilitates picking up a false eyelash, positioning it adjacent an eyelid, and holding it while the backing strip 20' (FIG. 1) is attached to the eyelid. In this connection, the blades 28 are made sufficiently thin, and are sufficiently closely spaced, as to permit strands 18 of the eyelash to enter between them, and be lightly and frictionally engaged thereby. Referring to FIGURE 3, this is accomplished by placing the eyelash in one hand, and manipulating the tool so as to urge the portion 26, and hence the blades 28 against the strands 18. This movement of the extension 16 toward the hand, causes the blades 28, as in a combing action, to pass between strands 18. Thereupon the tool is lifted from the hand, and the strands 18 remain engaged by the blades 28.

One can then move the tool (with the lash thereon) toward the eye, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, and position the backing strip 20 adjacent the eyelid 22 so that it can be properly attached. Upon effecting such attachment, the blades 28 are readily removed from the strands 18, by an outward combing motion, while holding the backing strip 20 in place on the eyelid. The edges of the blades, 28 are rounded, as illustrated, so that one cannot cut or puncture her skin.

The tool as thus described is the substance of the invention. After the false eyelashes are properly attached one can blend the false and natural eyelashes together, as with a small comb. However, it is desirable to have one tool with which the eyelashes can be held while being attached, all as above described, and which also carries a convenient comb attachment. To this end, the tool 12 is formed with a comb extension 32 on the end of the handle 14 opposite the extension 16. Thus, and as best seen in FIGURE 2, after the false eyelash is in place, the strands 18 and the natural lashes can be combed together with the comb extension 32. The comb extension is well known, having been first disclosed in my Patent No. 2,902,041.

While the tool of my invention may be formed of any desired materials, I prefer to mold it from a high impact plastic, or synthetic resinous, material. Such material is readily moldable to provide a tool having all parts shaped to provide the desired degree of safety and utility.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that various modifications can be made in the tool illustrated and described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A false eyelash applicator having, in combination:

a handle having an extension at one end, said extension being formed with a generally flat face and an end free of sharp surfaces;

a plurality of elongated, generally parallel blades on said face, said blades being spaced apart to define a plurality of elongated grooves sufiiciently deep and closely spaced to receive and hold the strands of a false eyelash extension extending beyond the extremities of said blades;

and said blades being sufficiently thin to permit them to pass between the strands of a false eyelash whereby the false eyelash may be applied to an eyelid.

2. A false eyelash applicator as defined in caim 1 wherein said end of said extension is a rounded extremity extending beyond the extremity of said blades.

3. A false eyelash applicator as defined in claim 1 wherein said blades extend longitudinally of said handle and said flat face is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle, said blades being triangular and having free edges parallel to said axi and extremities generally perpendicular to said axis.

4. A false eyelash applicator as defined in claim 1 including a comb attachment on the end of said handle opposite said extension, said extension, said handle and said all) 4 comb attachment being formed as a monolithic element of plastic material.

5. A false eyelash applicator having, in combination:

an elongated handle having a longitudinally projecting extension on one end, said extension having one side facing laterally of the handle;

a plurality of longitudinally extending, blades on said one side arranged in closely spaced parallel relation to define a plurality of laterially opening grooves sufficiently narrow to receive the strands of an artificial eyelash and to frictionally hold the strands between said blades; and

an end on said extension beyond said blades for engaging the false eyelash and urging the latter against an eyelid, said end being free of cutting and puncturing surfaces so as to be safely pressed against an eyelid.

6. A false eyelash applicator as defined in claim 5 in which said blades are tapered at their free edges to enter between said strands, and said grooves increase progressively in depth toward said end.

7. A false eyelash applicator as defined in claim 5 in which the total width of said blades is substantially less than the width of a false eyelash whereby the applicator is engageable with the central portion of the eyelash to fit the latter into place on an eyelid, said end of said extension being rounded and the side of said extension opposite said blades being flat to form an end portion engageable with the eyelash and the eyelid to press the eyelash firmly into place across its full width.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,323,595 7/1943 Hansch 132-312 2,609,822 9/1952 McCorrnack et al. 1321 2,667,176 1/1954 Wassmer 1321 3,071,143 1/1963 Bau 132148 F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner J. W. MITCHELL, Assistant Examiner 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 6 Dated August 19, 1969 Inventor(s) Robert Gordon Bau It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and than: said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

r- Column 3, line 25, should read, --a false eyelash,

and said extension extending beyond the exulhmLU Amu SEALED JAN 6 --I970 (SEAL) .Atteat:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. WILL! LER. JR-

Oomlssiom of Patents Attesling Officer 

